Tehran threatens US blockade after ship 'heading to country' attacked
The US opened fire on a tanker in Gulf of Oman which is claimed "violating" the naval blockade, US Central Command confirmed.
Iran and Israel have exchanged strikes for the first time since the ceasefire in April, prompting Tehran to threaten a US blockade.
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Tehran has warned that the latest Israeli strikes on the country have marked the "beginning of a full week of continuous strikes", as hostilities intensify for the first time since the fragile ceasefire was established.
This came after the US struck a tanker in Gulf of Oman "violating" the naval blockade, according to US Central Command.
The US opened fire on the Palau-flagged M/T Marivex "as it transited international waters in the Gulf of Oman toward Iran", the command said in a statement on X.
The US initiated a blockade after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil travels, after the war began in February.
Read more: Israel returns fire with strikes on targets in Iran - despite Trump warning 'I call the shots'
The latest strikes threaten to drag the wider region into further conflict. Since last night, Iran has launched three missile strikes at Israel, prompting Israel to target military sites in Tehran in response.
Iran warned this attack signified the "beginning of a full week of continuous strikes", with Tehran’s joint military command confirming that the strikes had finished, and Israel should "learn a lesson".
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the "struggle" against both Iran and Hezbollah remains ongoing and has threatened to act if they are struck again.
US President Donald Trump has urged the two sides to stop "shooting" in a post to Truth Social and told US media that he was "not happy" about Iran’s attacks.
Tehran’s threats are ongoing, claiming that the region will become "hell" for both Israel and the US if they make "another mistake".
Israel has insisted it will act in "self-defence” and has warned residents living in a city in southern Lebanon to evacuate. Iran has warned it will attack if Lebanon is struck.
Israel's Prime Minister previously announced that the "fire is contained" in a televised address after a previous announcement from Tehran that the country would stop attacks on Israel.
This followed hostilities from both sides after Israel's Defence Forces launched strikes on southern Lebanon, leading to calls from US President Donald Trump for both sides to stop "shooting".
Images emerging from both nations show the extent of the damage following the missile attacks, with a senior Israeli official insisting that if Hezbollah attacks Israeli towns, the IDF will retaliate with attacks on southern Beirut.
It comes as Iran's president insisted: "We've neither abandoned the field nor the negotiating table".
The pause in airstrikes comes after Donald Trump ordered Israel and Iran to 'immediately stop 'shooting' after missile strikes shook both nations overnight.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president says Israel and Iran "must immediately stop 'shooting'".
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer said it was “really important that all parties get back to a ceasefire” in the Middle East after Iran and Israel exchanged missile attacks and air strikes.
The warning from Trump came after Israel launched 'retaliatory' airstrikes against Iran early on Monday, despite earlier calls for restraint from US President Donald Trump and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Sir Keir Starmer insisted he was "deeply concerned" by the "huge impact" of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The Prime Minister said: “I am deeply concerned about the resumption of violence. It is really important that all parties get back to a ceasefire.
“There are serious negotiations going on, towards a lasting peace. It’s really important that we give them ever chance of success because this conflict is already having a huge impact across the world, including here in the United Kingdom.
“So I say to all parties, we all have a responsibility to get back to that ceasefire and it’s really important we’re very clear about that.”
On Monday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had struck military targets “belonging to the Iranian terror regime” after Iran had earlier launched missiles against Israel.
The strikes are the first time such an exchange has taken place since a fragile ceasefire came into effect in April.
The IDF said the attacks had targeted western and central Iran. Iranian state television said explosions had been heard in Isfahan, Tabriz and Tehran.
After the initial Iranian attack, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper posted on X: “The resumption of conflict between Iran and Israel is in no one’s interest. Both sides must show restraint and de-escalate immediately.
“Negotiations must continue towards the lasting settlement that we all need, for peace and stability in the region, and for the full restoration of global trade.”